Lawrencedale Agro Processing, one of India’s premier fresh produce supply chain majors, inked a landmark agreement with the government of Andhra Pradesh for the development of horticulture crops.

The agreement was a part of the Andhra Pradesh government’s pivotal Farmers Producer’s Organisation (FPO) Policy for the Integrated Horticulture Development (IHD) Programme through the public-private partnership (PPP) route.

The much-anticipated move by the government of the southern state was kicked off by its chief minister, N Chandrababu Naidu, in Ananthapuram, which is a key horticulture hub of the state.

He urged all the stakeholders to work for the benefit of the farmers. “The government of Andhra Pradesh is committed to the development of the farmers and the launch of this PPP-IHD programme is a key step to fulfill that goal,” he added.

“We will provide full support to the farmers and also to the private players who will work for the benefit of the farmers,” Naidu said.

“The formation of the Farmer Producer Organisation, wherein the government, farmers and the private sector cohesively work for the benefit of the farmers is an important landmark in the history of Andhra Pradesh,” he added.

The agreement was signed by Chiranjiv Choudhary, commissioner, horticulture and sericulture, government of Andhra Pradesh and Palat Vijayaraghavan, founder and chief executive officer, Lawrencedale Agro Processing, in the presence of Naidu.

Speaking on the occasion, Choudhary said, “We all know the importance of value chain development in Andhra Pradesh. Along with private participation, we will facilitate productivity improvement, post harvest infrastructure, capacity building and development of horticulture.”

“We are pleased that many private players, with their vast experience in fresh produce supply chain and expertise in post-harvest management, will provide support to the farmers,” he added.

“We are honoured to sign this agreement with Andhra Pradesh government in the presence of Naidu,” said Vijayaraghavan. “We are committed for appropriate interventions for productivity enhancement and value chain development for horticulture crops,” he added.

“With our experience in handling more than 7,000 tonnes of fresh produce annually, we will work closely with Farmer Producer Organisations to increase the quality of the harvest, thereby enabling better realisations for the farmers,” Vijayaraghavan said.

The Andhra Pradesh horticulture department will facilitate the provision of necessary assistance to Lawrencedale Agro Processing in establishing required infrastructure for value chain development and provide the necessary assistance under the ongoing department programmes/schemes as per the guidelines of the state government.

It will also support Lawrencedale Agro’s participation in significant areas in Andhra Pradesh, wherever feasible. Such participation may include providing advisory services, setting up post-harvest facilities, infrastructure development, research and development, implementation support and related aspects for development of horticulture.

Lawrencedale Agro Processing will support the development of infrastructure in Andhra Pradesh, considering the government’s focus on promoting value chain development of horticulture crops in the state and facilitating a conducive investment environment.